Boarcupines, Ramen, and More Crazy Stuff
by Nerdy J Fics
Summary: A collection of Zutara for The Pro-Bending Circuit. Enjoy all the random prompts condensed to one story for your reading enjoyment. :)
1. Porcupine

**Team: Future Industries Fire Ferrets**

 **Equipment: Earth discs**

 **Prompt: Porcupine**

 **Word count: 312**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.**

 **A/N For the rest of this collection, I'll just be putting the word count and prompt, since the disclaimer, my team, and the equipment are all covered here. Enjoy! -Nerdy J**

* * *

"Tell me another story about your adventures, Momma!"

"Another one? Where to start..."

It wasn't long before the conversation went entirely off topic.

* * *

"And back then, Daddy had different hair," explained Katara.

The pale little girl looked at her mother in awe as she listened to stories of the past.

"I saw that!" She squeaked. "I saw it in a painting!"

The Waterbender smiled.

"And what did his hair look like?" She asked, smiling at her husband as he entered the room, unbeknownst to their daughter.

"Like a boarcupine!" Kya giggled.

Zuko raised his good eyebrow at Katara, mouthing the word, 'boarcupine' at her.

Katara stifled a laugh, continuing to talk to the child.

"What painting did you look at, sweetheart?" She asked.

Kya scrunched her eyebrows together as she thought.

"It was... It was in the big bedroom at Uncle Sokka's house!" She remembered triumphantly.

Zuko facepalmed, and Katara burst out in full on laughter.

"Was Aunt Suki Firebending in that painting?" She asked, lips still twitching stubbornly.

Kya nodded, dark hair bouncing.

"Go on and play with your brother and sister now, Kya," Katara grinned.

The girl obeyed, and the Fire Lady stood to greet... Well, to laugh at her husband.

"He still has that picture?" Zuko deadpanned. "And he hangs it on his bedroom wall?"

Katara laughed.

"I honestly had no idea. I can't believe he kept it!"

The Fire Lord reached up and tugged on a strand of his long, ebony hair.

"My hair's improved since then, right?"

His wife rolled her eyes.

"Zuko, your hair was one of the things that attracted me to you. It was gorgeous when we were kids."

His amber eyes grew wide, and a goofy grin swept over his light-toned skin.

"Really?"

Katara rolled her blue eyes once more, pecking him on the cheek.

"Yes, really. I guess I like boarcupines."


	2. Ramen

**Prompt: Ramen**

 **Word count: 319**

* * *

"Okay, okay, my turn," the girl laughed.

Her boyfriend laid beside her, while their close friends were scattered around the floor of the small dorm.

"Um..." The dark skinned girl glanced around, hand absentmindedly stroking Zuko's hair.

She turned to him, withdrawing her hand, much to his dismay.

"Zuko! Truth or dare?" Katara grinned.

He shut his amber eyes, stretching out like a cat.

"Truth," he yawned. "Nothing too embarrassing, alright?"

The Water Tribe girl sighed.

"Fine. You're lucky I love you."

He gave her a cheeky grin while she thought up a worthwhile question.

"Okay, I got it," she smiled, tapping him rather randomly on the head.

He opened his right eye, the left one staying partially closed as usual.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. So, if you could only eat one thing before you died, what would it be?" She asked, fingers playing with his dark, shaggy hair yet again.

He smirked.

"Do you want the appropriate answer or the other one?"

Katara's brother cleared his throat purposefully, causing Zuko to roll his eyes.

"Fine. Ah, I guess it'd have to be ramen."

Everyone in the room gave him an incredulous look.

"Last meal," Sokka said slowly. "One thing. And you pick...?"

"Ramen," Zuko repeated, shrugging. Or, at least as well as one can shrug while on their back.

"Are you trying to give a stereotypical college student answer?" Toph asked, misty eyes focused somewhere in the distance. "Because that makes more sense to me."

Zuko sat up.

"Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"

Katara shook her head in both amazement and amusement.

"Ramen, huh?"

Zuko threw his hands up.

"Why am I being judged on my eating habits?! Ramen is the most amazing invention in the history of noodles! Are you going to deny this?!" He shouted.

They all looked at each other. Zuko awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh, my turn, then?"


	3. Frustrated

**Prompt: Frustrated**

 **Word count: 335**

* * *

"You're driving me crazy..." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm driving _you_ crazy? Which one of us is tied up and practically being sexually harassed?" Katara challenged.

Zuko growled under his breath, trying to retain his sense of control over this situation.

"For the last time, I have _not_ been sexually harrassing you! Agni!" The Prince yelled.

The two glared at each other fiercely. The Waterbender finally broke the silence.

"In what world would all _that_ be considered anything else?"

Zuko hissed, turning to face the river and spewing fire across the water.

"Where are those pirates?!"

"Gee, I wonder? Maybe hunting down my best friend and my brother?"

This verbal sparring match had been going on for two hours. Zuko had sent the pirates to search for the Avatar and the Water Tribe boy, but they hadn't returned... Leaving the young Firebender to deal with the most annoying girl in the history of the world. He wished the frustration was mutual, but the girl seemed perfectly in control of herself... Which was even more aggravating. He was _this_ close to roasting her alive. She was very lucky his Uncle Iroh was there to keep his temper somewhat in check... _somewhat._

"I wasn't asking _you,_ peasant, so be quiet!"

"I'll be quiet when I want to be quiet!"

"How do those two put up with your big mouth all the time?"

"Maybe it's because they have some semblance of self-control?"

"Do you want me to gag you?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Don't tempt me, Waterbender."

"Are all Firebenders this gorgeous, or is it just you?"

Katara's face flushed a violent shade of red.

"This s-stubborn. Are all Firebenders this stubborn?" She stammered, fighting desperately to regain her ground.

Zuko was suddenly _very_ interested in what the girl he had tied to a tree had to say...

"One more time?" He smirked.

"Oh, look. The sunrise. Isn't that pretty..."

"You're lucky the pirates are back, or we'd be having quite the conversation..."


	4. Sadness

**Prompt: Sadness**

 **Word count: 392**

* * *

The little girl clung tightly to her necklace, tears pouring down her tanned face that was ever so much paler than it usually was.

"Katara, please, sweetheart, you need to eat," her father pleaded. He held out a dish of ocean kumquats, hoping to tempt her with the delicious meal. It had been several days since the child had last eaten, and Hakoda was growing worried that she was trying to starve her way to her mother.

"C'mon, Katara," her brother muttered. "We're all really upset, okay? But you can't stop eating."

She looked at them both with dead looking eyes; the blue irises duller than they had ever been in memory. She still hadn't spoke. Not since the day Kya died...

* * *

"Prince Zuko, you really must leave your room," a voice called, muffled by the door.

Silence met the man, and he sighed, running a hand restlessly down his face. His young nephew had hardly communicated with anyone since his mother had... Disappeared. Getting him out of bed was a struggle in and of itself. Coaxing him out of his bedchambers was an entirely different matter.

"Zuko, please, let me in," Iroh said, his voice gentle. To his surprise, the doors slowly creaked open, revealing a small figure; skin sallow, inky hair limp.

The older man stooped to the ground and enveloped the prince in a tight hug.

"It is good to see you, my nephew," he said quietly. He received no response in return, though this was no surprise. He had barely seen anyone, much less spoken to them.

* * *

"Why did you have to take her, Moon Spirit?" Katara whispered, voice hoarse from disuse. "I know, I know it's all my fault, but why?"

Curling up on her pile of furs, she tried to let the tears fall... But nothing came.

* * *

"Why'd she have to go?" Zuko breathed. "Why, Uncle Iroh?"

The man, old before his time, sighed, grief touching upon his weathered features.

"It was her time, Zuko. It was her destiny."

The child's lip trembled, and he turned, shutting the door firmly behind him.

* * *

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me," Katara sobbed, grasping at her necklace.

Zuko turned slightly so he could see her huddled form.

"I'm sorry," he said in his raspy voice. "That's one thing we have in common."


End file.
